Gilded Age Presidents, Labor Unions and Strikes
Politics under Gilded Age Every presidential election a squeaker, every senate
race a close one Only 3 sessions between 1869-1871 did same
political party control congress Politics revolve around scandals and spoils more
than issues of policy Commanded fierce loyalty – nearly 80% of voters
cast ballots in their election Republicans dominated – Won all but 2 elections
between 1860-1900
Party Conventions Took place at country, state and national
levels Adopted platforms, statements and principles
for their voters Campaigning often done in the saloon (where
women not allowed) Newspapers identify with party – Party often
gave $$ and they would bash opponent
Republicans Civil War victors – Blame democrats as party of
disunion Encourage Americans to “vote as you shot” – and
“wave the bloody shirt” Adhere to Puritan roots, focus on old stock
immigrants Stress code of morality and believe govt should play
role in economy and moral affairs Push for big govt, tariffs, and land grants Very active in helping corporate capitalism in
America
Democrats Party of disunion Oppose govt interference in economy, tariffs
and land grants Anti-Prohibition – claims it limits freedom Immigrants and Catholics tend to flock to this
group Had a solid electoral base in the South and
immigrants in the North
Patronage Voting day: People came out early and often – many
controlled by local bosses, party gangs or social scenes – Cath and Irish tend to vote Dem, South almost all dem, Ex-Civ War vets vote Repub
“To the victors go the spoils of war” – Andrew Jackson Once elected, new president/gov/mayor would give out jobs Led to bribery and corruption: Sec of Interior bribed position
so he could “sell” lands to monopolies US Postmaster – Used fed $$ to buy new clocks for entire
postal service – gave his friend a kickback
Women’s Suffrage Women largely stayed out of politics (mostly done
in saloon) 1848: Seneca Falls – 1st women’s right convention Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Standon National Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
– sought an amendment to Const Wyoming Terr – 1st state to allow women to vote on
state level Would eventually get national suffrage with 19th
Amend - Ratif 1920
U.S. Presidents during Gilded Age
Ulysses S. Grant (R) 1869-1877 Had parades and heroes
welcome everywhere Took a check for $105K
from NY for “saving the Union”
Credit Mobilier Scandal – Union Pacific RR earned dividends up to 348%
Gave senators $$ to be quiet
Grant Corruption Whiskey Ring: Whiskey distillers paid tax
man to “go away” – Grant claimed “let no man escape” his own private sec on it
Sec War Belknap: Took bribes from suppliers to Indian reservations
Transcontinental RR 1869 Union Pacific –
Commissioned to go West - given 16k for each mile of prairie land and 48k for each mile of mtn
Central Pacific – Went East from Sacramento – hired over 10k Chinese laborers
Cities like Chicago become a major hub between E-W
Compromise of 1877 and Rutherford B. Hayes
Scandals stop Grant’s 3rd term
Rutherford B. Hayes (R) – Won in the North
Sam H. Tilden (D) – Man who bagged “Boss Tweed”
No clear winner in electoral college
Compromise of 1877 Both sides sent visiting
statesmen to SC, LA and FL (still not reconstructed under any plan)
States send two sets of returns – one with Hayes as winner and other as Tilden
Compromise: Republicans to get Pres, Dem to get military removed, and black freedoms reversed
Rutherford B. Hayes (R) 1877-1881 Financial Panics and hardtimes Strike of 1877: Nations 4 largest RR cut
wages by 10% - Hayes calls in federal troops 5 new transcontinental RR built Chinese probs: Flood of Chinese causes
social unrest 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act – vetoed by
Hayes – made him very unpopular
James A. Garfield (R) - 1881 Log cabin Pres and ex-
civil war vet Shot by Charles
Guiteau – disappointed and deranged office seeker
Showed something needed to be done about spoils system
Old Grover Takes Over (D) 1885-1889 & 1893-1897)
Grover Cleveland = 1st Dem since Civ War
Staunch believer in Laissez-Faire
Dawes Act est. under his admin
Interstate Commerce Commission – regulated RR rebates
Battled tariff (raised high under Repub yrs)
Labor Day – created 1894
Haymarket Square Riot - 1886 Workers in Chicago march
for an 8 hr day- protest McComick Harvesting machine
Police come to break up strike Anarchists (anti-govt) blamed
for violence 8 policemen die, 100s injured Public saw unions and
anarchists as prob
Benjamin Harrison (R) – 1889-1893 Grandson of William
Henry (Tippecanoe) Harrison
Won on tariff issue
Homestead Riot (PA) Homestead Strike: Andrew
Carnegie and Clay Frick cut wages in PA
Carnegie called in Pinkerton Detective Agency – group of strike breakers
10k strikers clash – 15 dead, 65 injured
Carnegie called in state militias
William McKinley (R) 1907-1901 Very gilded age president High tariffs, laissez faire He would be known more
for Imperialism efforts His death (shot) would lead
to rise of one of most active Progressive presidents in History: Teddy Roosevelt